his　soul　or　steadiness　into　his　practice。　　But　even　Jack　at　times
  failed。
  Then　when　both　were　eighteen　they　went　to　the　War；　Jack　as　an
  Officer；　Tony　as　a　Non…Commissioned　Officer　in　the　same　Battalion；
  Jack　hating　the　bloody　business　but　resolute　to　play　this　great
  game　of　duty　as　he　played　all　games　for　all　that　was　in　him；　Tony
  aglow　at　first　with　the　movement　and　glitter　and　later　mad　with　the
  lust　for　deadly　daring　that　was　native　to　his　Keltic　Gallic　soul。
  They　returned　with　their　respective　decorations　of　D。　S。　O。　and
  Military　Medal　and　each　with　the　stamp　of　war　cut　deep　upon　him；　in
  keeping　with　the　quality　of　his　soul。
  The　return　to　peace　was　to　them；　as　to　the　thousands　of　their
  comrades　to　whom　it　was　given　to　return；　a　shock　almost　as　great　as
  had　been　the　adventure　of　war。　　In　a　single　day　while　still　amid
  the　scenes　and　with　all　the　paraphernalia　of　war　about　them　an
  unreal　and　bewildering　silence　had　fallen　on　them。　　Like　men　in　the
  unearthly　realities　of　a　dream　they　moved　through　their　routine
  duties；　waiting　for　the　orders　that　would　bring　that　well…known；
  sickening；　savage　tightening　of　their　courage　and　send　them；　laden
  like　beasts　of　burden；　up　once　more　to　that　hell　of　blood　and　mud；
  of　nerve…shattering　shell；　of　blinding　glare　and　ear…bursting　roar
  of　gun　fire；　and；　worse　than　all；　to　the　place　where；　crouching　in
  the　farcical　deceptive　shelter　of　the　sandbagged　trench；　their
  fingers　gripping　into　the　steel　of　their　rifle　hands；　they　would
  wait　for　the　zero　hour。　　But　as　the　weeks　passed　and　the　orders
  failed　to　come　they　passed　from　that　bewildering　and　subconscious
  anxious　waiting；　to　an　experience　of　wildly　exultant；　hysterical
  abandonment。　　They　were　done　with　all　that　long　horror　and　terror；
  they　were　never　to　go　back　into　it　again；　they　were　going　back
  home；　the　New　Day　had　dawned；　war　was　no　more；　nor　ever　would　be
  again。　　Back　to　home；　to　waiting　hearts；　to　shining　eyes；　to
  welcoming　arms；　to　peace；　they　were　going。
  Thereafter；　when　some　weeks　of　peace　had　passed　and　the　drums　of
  peace　had　fallen　quiet　and　the　rushing；　crowding；　hurrahing　people
  had　melted　away；　and　the　streets　and　roads　were　filled　again　with
  men　and　women　bent　on　business；　with　engagements　to　keep；　the
  returned　men　found　themselves　with　dazed；　listless　mind　waiting　for
  orders　from　someone；　somewhere；　or　for　the　next　movie　show　to　open。
  But　they　were　unwilling　to　take　on　the　humdrum　of　making　a　living；
  and　were　in　most　cases　incapable　of　initiating　a　congenial　method
  of　employing　their　powers；　their　new…found；　splendid；　glorious
  powers；　by　means　of　which　they　had　saved　an　empire　and　a　world。
  They　had　become　common　men　again；　they　in　whose　souls　but　a　few
  weeks　ago　had　flamed　the　glory　and　splendour　of　a　divine　heroism！
  Small　wonder　that　some　of　these　men；　tingling　with　the　consciousness
  of　powers　of　which　these　busy；　engaged　people　of　the　streets　and
  shops　knew　nothing；　turned　with　disdain　from　the　petty；　paltry；　many
  of　them　non…manly　tasks　that　men　pursued　solely　that　they　might
  live。　　Live！　　For　these　last　terrible；　great　and　glorious　fifty
  months　they　had　schooled　themselves　to　the　notion　that　the　main
  business　of　life　was　not　to　live。　　There　had　been　for　them　a　thing
  to　do　infinitely　more　worth　while　than　to　live。　　Indeed；　had　they
  been　determined　at　all　costs　to　live；　then　they　had　become　to
  themselves；　to　their　comrades；　and　indeed　to　all　the　world；　the　most
  despicable　of　all　living　things；　deserving　and　winning　the　infinite
  contempt　of　all　true　men。
  While　the　〃gratuity　money〃　lasted　life　went　merrily　enough；　but
  when　the　last　cheque　had　been　cashed；　and　the　grim　reality　that
  rations　had　ceased　and　Q。　M。　Stores　were　not　longer　available
  thrust　itself　vividly　into　the　face　of　the　demobilised　veteran；　and
  when　after　experiencing　in　job　hunting　varying　degrees　of
  humiliation　the　same　veteran　made　the　startling　and　painful
  discovery　that　for　his　wares　of　heroic　self…immolation；　of　dogged
  endurance　done　up　in　khaki；　there　was　no　demand　in　the　bloodless
  but　none　the　less　strenuous　conflict　of　living；　and　that　other
  discovery；　more　disconcerting；　that　he　was　not　the　man　he　had　been
  in　pre…war　days　and　thought　himself　still　to　be；　but　quite　another；
  then　he　was　ready　for　one　of　two　alternatives；　to　surrender　to　the
  inevitable　dictum　that　after　all　life　was　really　not　worth　a　fight；
  more　particularly　if　it　could　be　sustained　without　one；　or；　to
  fling　his　hat　into　the　Bolshevist　ring；　ready　for　the　old　thing；
  warwar　against　the　enemies　of　civilisation　and　his　own　enemies；
  against　those　who　possessed　things　which　he　very　much　desired　but
  which　for　some　inexplicable　cause　he　was　prevented　from　obtaining。
  The　former　class；　to　a　greater　or　less　degree；　Jack　Maitland
  represented；　the　latter；　Tony　Perrotte。　　From　their　war　experience
  they　were　now　knit　together　in　bonds　that　ran　into　life　issues。
  Together　they　had　faced　war's　ultimate　horror；　together　they　had
  emerged　with　imperishable　memories　of　sheer　heroic　manhood　mutually
  revealed　in　hours　of　desperate　need。
  At　Jack's　request　Tony　had　been　given　the　position　of　a　Junior
  Foreman　in　one　of　the　planing　mill　departments；　with　the　promise　of
  advancement。
  〃You　can　have　anything　you　are　fit　for；　Tony；　in　any　of　the　mills。
  I　feel　that　I　owe　you；　that　we　both　owe　you　more　than　we　can　pay　by
  any　position　we　can　offer；〃　was　Grant　Maitland's　word。
  〃Mr。　Maitland；　neither　you　nor　Jack　owes　me　anything。　　Jack　has
  paid；　and　more　than　once；　all　he　owed　me。　　But；〃　with　a　rueful
  smile；　〃don't　expect　too　much　from　me　in　this　job。　　I　can't　see
  myself　making　it　go。〃
  〃Give　it　a　big　try。　　Do　your　best。　　I　ask　no　more；〃　said　Mr。
  Maitland。
  〃My　best？　　That's　a　hard　thing。　　Give　me　a　bayonet　and　set　some
  Huns　before　me；　and　I'll　do　my　best。　　This　is　different　somehow。〃
  〃Different；　yet　the　same。　　The　same　qualities　make　for　success。
  You　have　the　brains　and　with　your　gift　for　machineryWell；　try　it。
  You　and　Jack　here　will　make　this　go　between　you；　as　you　made　the
  other　go。〃
  The　door　closed　on　the　young　man。
  〃Will　he　make　good；　Jack？〃　said　the　father；　anxiously。
  〃Will　any　of　us　make　good？〃
  〃You　will；　Jack；　I　know。　　You　can　stick。〃
  〃Yes；　I　can　stick；　I　suppose；　but；　after　allwell；　we'll　have　a　go
  at　it；　anyway。　　But；　like　Tony；　I　feel　like　saying；　'Don't　expect
  too　much。'〃
  〃Only　your　best；　Jack；　that's　all。　　Take　three　months；　six　months；
  a　year；　and　get　hold　of　the　office　end　of　the　business。　　You　have
  brains　enough。　　I　want　a　General　Manager　right　now；　Wickes　is
  hardly　up　to　it。　　He　knows　the　books　and　he　knows　the　works　but　he
  knows　nothing　else。　　He　doesn't　know　men　nor　markets。　　He　is　an
  office　man　pure　and　simple；　and　he's　old；　too　old。　　The　fact　is；
  Jack；　I　have　to　be　my　own　Manager　inside　and　outside。　　My　foremen
  are　good；　loyal；　reliable　fellows；　but　they　only　know　their　orders。
  I　want　someone　to　stand　beside　me。　　The　plant　has　been　doubled　in
  capacity　during　the　war。　　We　did　a　lot　of　war　workaeroplane
  parts。　　We　got　the　spruce　in　the　raw　and　worked　it　up；　good　work；
  too；　if　I　do　say　it　myself。　　No　better　was　done。〃
  〃I　know　something　about　that；　Dad。　　I　had　a　day　with　Badgley　in
  Toronto。　　I　know　something　about　it；　and　I　know　where　the　money
  went；　too；　Dad。〃
  〃The　money？　　Of　course；　I　couldn't　take　the　moneyhow　could　I　with
  my　boys　at　the　war；　and　other　men's　boys？〃
  〃Rather　not。　　My　God；　Dad；　if　I　thought！　　But　what's　the　use
  talking？　　They　know　in　London　all　about　the　Ambulance　Equipment　and
  the　Machine　Gun　Battery；　and　the　Hospital。　　Do　you　know　why　Caramus
  took　a　job　in　the　Permanent　Force　in　England？　　It　was　either　that
  or　blowing　out　his　brains。　　He　could　not　face　his　father；　a　war
  millionaire。　　My　God；　how　could　he？〃
  The　boy　was　walking　about　his　room　with　face　white　and　lips
  quivering。
  〃Caramus　was　in　charge　of　that　Machine　Gun　Section　that　held　the
  line　and　let　us　get　back。　　Every　man　wiped　out；　and　Caramus　carried
  back　smashed　to　small　piecesand　his　father　making　a　million　out
  of　munitions！　　My　God！　　My　God！〃
  A　silence　fell　in　the　room　for　a　minute。
  〃Poor　old　Caramus！　　I　saw　him　in　the　City　a　month　ago；〃　said　the
  father。　　〃I　pitied　the　poor　wretch。　　He　was　alone　in　the　Club；　not
  a　soul　would　speak　to　him。　　He　has　got　his　hell。〃
  〃He　deserves　itall　of　it；　and　all　who　like　him　have　got　fat　on
  blood　money。　　Do　you　know；　Dad；　when　I　see　those　men　going　about　in
  the　open　and　no　one　kicking　them　I　get　fairly　sick。　　I　don't　wonder
  at　some　of　the　boys　seeing　red。　　You　mark　my　words；　we　are　going　to
  have　bad　times　in　this　country　before　long。〃
  〃I　am　afraid　of　it；　boy。　　Things　look　ugly。　　Even　in　our　own　works
  I　feel　a　bad　spirit　about。　　There　are　some　newcomers　from　the　old
  country　whom　I　can't　say　I　admire　much。　　They　grouch　and　they　won't
  work。　　Our　production　is　lower　than　ever　in　our　history　and　our
  labor　cost　is　more　than　twice　what　it　was　in　1914。〃
  〃Well；　Dad；　give　them　a　little　time　to　settle　down。　　I　have　no　more
  use　for　a　slacker　than　I　have　for　a　war　millionaire。〃
  〃We　can't　stand　much　of　that　thing。　　Financially　we　are　in　fairly
  good　shape。　　We　broke　even　with　our　aeroplane　work。　　But　we　have　a
  big　stoc